A watchdog has cast doubt on the government’s claim to be cutting aid to China by 95 per cent, pointing out that only a fraction of the budget is being reduced.
Other details of cuts in the foreign aid budget have emerged separately, prompting criticism by a leading charity.
Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, suggested last week that he was ending all but £900,000 of British donations to China and that the remainder would be spent on civil liberties.
The official watchdog, the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), has discovered that Britain’s full assistance to China is running at £82 million a year, including a British Council partnership with the Premier League that trains coaches and referees to work with young footballers.
“It is
